Automobile hood retainer



Jan, 6, 1925.

R.v REED AUTOMOBILE Hoon RETAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. s, 1922 vg1v/vum`4foz A RALPH Keen atroz wu R. REED AUTMOBILE Hoon RETAINER'Filed NOV. 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Jan. 6, 1925'. 1,521,835

31a/manici RALPH KEEP. f

i VL /Mz/l/wx/ Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE'.

RALPH REED, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

AUTOMOBILE I-IOOID RETAINER.

Application fled November 8, 1922. Serial No. 598,898.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH REED, a citizen of theUnited States, residingat Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State ot' 6 Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful y Improvements in Automobile HoodRetainers, of which the following is a specification,-

freference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. j l Myinvention relates to automotive equ1pment, and in particular to latchesfor the hoods of automobiles.

It is the object of my invention to provide a hood latch that willprevent rattling, will be self-compensating for the warping and twistingof the several parts ofthe body of the hood, and which will resist theusual. movements of the hood during the operation of the vehicle.

It is my object to provide a yielding resistance to such movements, andto provide a ready means of unlatching the latch.

It is a Still further object of my invention to provide a resilientmeans interposed between the parts of the latch so that there shall beno metal to metal contact, and, therefore, no passage through the latchof the vibrations which usually set up various types of noises.

It is a further object of my invention to provide/a resilient means solocated that it may be readily renewed, and that any accumulation offoreign material or moisture in it will be readily vcarried away.

It is an additional object of my invention to provide means to preventthe noises being set up in the plunger. of the latch and its housing. Itis my object to provide a broad and convenient handle which canbe easilygrasped by the operator.

It is my object to provide a hood latch that will only need a slightmovement in order to unlatch it. It is a 4further object of my inventionto provide a broad bearing surface of the latch to reduce the wear to aminimum.

It is still an additional object to provide a combined movement when thelatch is locked so that the pull on the hood is both downwardlyandinwardly.

Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation lpartially insection of one form sition.v 1

end of the of my' latch in locked po' Fig. 2 is a plan viewof Fig. 3with the hood in section;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the latch showing a slightly modified formof hood carried handle bracket;

F ig. Ll is a section .on the linee-4 of Fig. 5; y A

Fig. 5 is a section enlarged of the upper plunger and the yreciprocatinghousing; 65'

Fig. 6 is a side elevation partially in section of a modified form of mylatch;

` Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a section of the modified form of the washer arrangementwithin the casing.

Referring to the drawings in detail z,

1 is a hood upon which is mounted a bracket having horizontal arms 2 andthe diagonal arms 3 terminating in a cup lwhioh is disposed at an angleto the hood 1.

This cup has an aperture' 5 at the bottom thereof communicating with itsinterior. In the interior ofthe cup there is located a resilient memberpreferably of rubber designated 6.` This member has a semicircular cupshaped cut away portion 7 which communicates with the aperture 5 by thepassageway 8. f Y

In this cup lshaped portion 7 tsthe ball 9 which is'mounted on the endof the handle 10. This handle is a single rod bent back upon itself witha space for the fingers of v the operator to grasp it. The handleterminates in a cup shaped memberll which is internally threaded as at12. Thisl cup shaped member is threaded upon lthe' cas- .ing 13 whichterminates as at 14 in a supporting shoulder surrounding the plunger orpiston l5. Adjacent this piston is a steel washer 16 closing vtheopening between'M- and 15. In order to prevent squeaking due to thepositioning of the parts a positionin washer of-lead, designated17, ismounted upon the steel washer 16 within the casing 13 and surroundingthe piston 15.

It will be noted that the lead washer is in contact with the walls ofthe casing 13, but this is not the case of the steel washer 16. Thus thesqueaks that should be set up as a result of the casing of the steelwasher are eliminated. A helical spring 18 has one end mounted upon thelead washer and the other end in engagement with a washer 19 which iscarried on the upper end of the piston 15.

The retaining nut 20 is mounted on the 11- plunger' or piston in orderto retain lthe washer 19 in position and to resist the action of thespringV 18. plunger or piston 15 terminates in a ball v21 and is mountedin a socket formed in the socket members 22 and 23 and the aperture I 2ain` the frame member 25 of the automobile which is located along thebottom edge 26 -of the hood. This arrangement permits the usualmovementof the entire plunger in its casing to accommodate it to the movementsof the vehicle and the strains and shocks imposed upon it.

As' will beseen in Fig. 4 the upper lead washer 19 is cut away as at 27to permit of the ready mounting of the washer upon the plunger 15.

It will be noted that the hood .is thus pulled downwardly and laterallyagainst the inner ledge of the body frame designated 28. The severalparts are so arranged that they easily Aclear the apronof the fender andpermit the ready access of the operators hand to o-perate the severalparts. In addition to this, a handle is so arranged that the hand of theoperator will not be injured by any slipping ofthe parts.

In'operation, a slight pull upwardly to one side serves to unseat theball 9 from the resilient'member 6 and then to swing it out ofengagement with the bracket thus permitting the hood with its bracket tobe easily otlierbracket having a long resilient member 29 which has inits upper surface a trough 30 cut away to receive the broad bearingmember 31 of the handle 10. The handle 10 has a pair-of arms 32supporting either end of 31. The resilient member 29 is supported in along trough 33 carried by thearms 2 of the bracket. This member 33together with the arms 2vform the handle for lifting the Y hood. In someforms of cars with a very long hood it is preferable to have this broadbearing surface to prevent the rocking of the hood with respect to thebody. This resilient member 29 is also provided with an aperture 34communicating with the aperture 35 in the bottom of the trough 33 forlthe exit of any accumulationof moisture or foreign material.yOtherwise, the construction is the same as 1n the preceding figures.The same dual movement ofa downward and lateral pressure is present andthe same feature of providingja broad handle for unlocking the latch ispresent lin this form as in the other crm.

The lower ends of the It is the object of my invention to prevent thetransmission of any shocks of the' body to the hood, -to prevent wear,and to 4reduce the noises usually found in hood constructions. Therattling of latches is one of the most frequent causes ofbody noises onautomotive equipment.

A modified form of my means of prevent? ing squeaks and rattles is seenin Fig. 8.

In this form I provide thesteel housing or casing 13in which moves theplunger 15 surrounded by the spring 18.

AThe bottoni of the casing has a Washer preferably of copper or othernon-ferrous metal designated 36. Above it is a washer offelt .designated37 and on top of that a washer of copper or the like designated 38. I amthus able vto provide a seal for grease and oil to be packed in thecasing and also provide washers which, while they willy fit closelyagainst the plunger 15 and the walls Vof the casing will not squeak. Thesprings 18 serve to hold the several parts to one another firmly.

It will be understood that the pivotal connection 39 to the frame 25 maybe of any desired character. I comprehend within the pivotal or swivelconnections equivalentv forms of universal' connections.

It will be understood that I do not desire .2 to be conlined to thedetail embodiment illustrated and described but comprehend within myinvention suitable modifications.

Having thus fully described my invention. what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is z- 1. In combination, Ia hood bracket, alatch member in contact therewith, and resilient vibration absorbingmeans interposed between said latching member and said bracket.

2. In combination, a hood bracket, a latch member in contact therewith.a resilient means interposed between said latching member and saidbracket, and adapted to permit of the free passage therefrom through thebracket of any accumulation of moisture ,or foreign material.

3. In combination, a bracket mounted on a hood, a vlocking memberresiliently mounted on the body, resilient means on said bracketinterposed between said locking means and the bracket, said lockingmeans being so arranged that it can be locked by being elevated androtated.

4. In combination, a bracket mounted on a hood which is adapted toengage later ally and vertically the body of an automobile, a socket insaid bracket, a resilient member in said socket, a locking member havinga handle and adapted to engage with said resilient member, and meansattached to one end of said handle for attaching said locking member tothe body of the automobile, said handle being adapted to be rotated uponits means of attachment. to the body and elevated when the locking meansis unlocked from the bracket.

In combination, a bracket adapted for attachment to a motor vehicle hooda socket carried by the bracket, a resilient member therein, a handle incontact therewith at one end and carrying 'a casing at the other end, aplunger working in said casing, a resilient means interposed between theplunger and the casing, a swivel joint adapted to connect the plungerwith a motor vehicle body whereby 4when the several parts are connectedto one another the hood will be held vdownwardly and laterally inwardly,and

'ber in said socket cut-away to receive the end of said locking member,a handle on said locking member` acasing connected tc one end of saidhandle, a plunger working in said casing, resilient means between saidplunger and said casing, and av swivelled attaching member carried bysaid plunger .adapted for attachment to a part of the body of anautomobile with which the hood is in Contact, whereby the hood is heldin position relatively to the automobile body.

7. In combination, a bracket adapted to form a handle for lifting a hoodof an automobile to which the bracket is attached` a 'diagonallydisposed socket carried by said bracket, a locking member, a resilientmember located in said socket, cut-away to rec'cive said locking memberand adapted to.

permit of the exit of any accumulation of moisture, a handle on saidlocking member, a casing connected to one end of said handle, a plungerworking in said casing, and a swivelled attaching element carried bysaid plunger 'and adapted for attachment to a part of the body of theautomobile With which the hood is in contact.

8. In combination, a bracket adapted to the hood of an automobile, alocking member in contact therewith consisting of a handl'e attached toa casing, a plunger in said casing, a resilent means between said casingand said plunger,A a swivel connection with the plunger on the body ofsaid automobile upon -which the hood is mounted, an'd washers ofrelatively soft material such as lead engaging with either' end of theresilient means and with the walls of the casing to prevent the contactof the plunger with the casing, whereby noises due to the frictionthereof are prevented.

9. In combination, a bracket adapted to the hood of anautomobile, alocking member in contact therewith including a. handle, a casingcarried by said handle, a plunger in said casing, a resilient meansbetween said casing and said plunger, a swivel connection with theplunger on the body of said automobile upon which the hood is mounted,and Washers of relatively soft material such as lead engaging witheither end ofthe .resilient means and with the walls of the-'casing topreventthe contact of the' plunger with the casing, whereby noises dueto the friction thereof are prevented, and a resilient member interposedbetween said bracket and said locking mem'- ber to dampen the vibrationspassing through the assembled parts.

10. In combination, a handle attached to the hood of an automobileconsisting of a pair of spaced arms and a trough connecting the outerends of said arms, a resilient member located in said trough having aneX- tended cutaway portion in its upper surface, a locking member, ahandle on said locking member having one end located in said trough, acasing connected with the other end of said handle, a swivelmember'mounted on the body of, the automobile carrying said hood, saidmember being connected with the casing and being free to turn.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

RALPH REED.

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